Protecting Antarctica from tourismA solution may be at hand for holidaymakers who are finding it harder to get off the beaten track. For those who really want to get away from it all, a new holiday destination has sprung up – Antarctica. However, this new hotspot, or freezing zone, might only be for those with the deepest pockets if a new policy gets under way. Tourism on Antarctica has been increasing dramatically in the past twenty years, from a few thousand people in 1985 to more than 40,000 in 2007. The growing numbers are having a negative effect on the pristine environment of the South Pole. To combat this, researchers from Holland’s Maastricht University have come up with a possible solution: limit the number of tourists allowed to visit and auction the vacations to the highest bidders.

Many environmental protection agencies agree that there is a need to protect the frozen wilderness from the damage created by modern tourism. Antarctica is the last unspoiled place on Earth. It has a very delicate ecosystem that could be easily upset by hordes of tourists landing in airplanes and using skimobiles. A difficulty exists because Antarctica is not a country and therefore has no government to pass laws or guidelines to control the number of visitors. The Maastricht University team’s proposal to auction off a fixed number of tourist places seems a workable solution. It would limit the number of visitors and therefore contain the amount of environmental damage, and the money would be used to protect Antarctica’s future. For further details, consult your local South Pole travel agent.

A. Decide whether the sentences are right, wrong or there is no information. Copy the sentence from the text that justifies each of your answers. 01. ( ) Antarctica has always been very expensive to visit.

The mayor of a remote Australian town has caused outrage among women across Australia. John Molony, the mayor of Mt. Isa, a mining town in the Australian Outback, has offended women by making sexist comments. He called on women who were “ugly ducklings” to come to his town to make its male citizens happy. Mt. Isa has a population of almost 25,000 and men outnumber women by a ratio of five to one. Mr. Molony proposed making the numbers more equal by saying: “If there are five [men] to every girl, we should find out where there are beauty-disadvantaged women and ask them to proceed to Mount Isa.” He stated that “not so attractive” women were happy in his town because of a recent or upcoming date.

Many of Mt. Isa’s female residents are up in arms at their mayor’s comments. Patricia O’Callaghan from the Chamber of Commerce said Molony’s remarks were offensive and that "there are a lot of women who are furious”. Many women have hit back. Healthcare worker Catherine Willett said: "To be honest, there just aren't top quality men here….They are too busy drinking beer to notice the women and all they do is whistle or yell as you go past.” Anna Warrick, an occupational therapist, added: "The guys don't make much of an effort with the girls. There isn't much wining and dining going on.” Molony has refused to apologize, saying his comments were “twisted and warped” by the media. He insists he respects women.
C. What do the words / expressions in bold in the text mean? 01. outrage _______________________________

02. outnumber _______________________________

03. proceed _______________________________

04. upcoming _______________________________

05. are up in arms_______________________________

06. twisted and warped____________________________

D. Answer the following questions about the text: 01. Why did the women react badly?

2. Do you need _____ degree in Economics or _____ degree in finance to be a better manager?

3. He has _____ cut on his leg and _____ bruise on _____ chin

4. Switch off _____ air-conditioner please. I have _____ cold.

5. Do you like _____ weather here? Isn't it too hot during _____ day but it is very cold at _____ night?

B. Fill each space with either some, any orleave it blank.1. ‘How many children do you have?’ ‘We don't have __________ children yet, but we want to have two or three eventually.’

2. This was an easy exercise and I didn't make __________ mistakes!

3. Look! Those students over there are __________ famous athletes.

4. Are there __________ biscuits left? Of course not, but you can have ___________ cake.

C. Complete the gaps with the verbs either in the Present Perfector in the Past Simple:Justin Randall Timberlake, the son of Lynn Harless and Randall Timberlake, _________ (1. be) born in Memphis, Tennessee, on January 31, 1981. He is an American pop singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Justin _______________(2. win) six Grammy Awards as well as an Emmy Award. His career _______________________ (3. start) in 1993, when he joined The Mickey Mouse Club. There he _______________ (4. meet) future girlfriend and pop superstar Britney Spears, future tour mate Christina Aguilera, and future band mate JC Chasez.

In 2002, he _________________________ (5. record) his debut solo album, Justified, which sold more than 7 million copies worldwide. So far, Timberlake ______________ (6. sell) more than 18 million records worldwide alone, as well as more than 50 million copies as one of the two lead singers in NSYNC.

He ____________________ (7. start) a record label called Tennman Records. In 2005 he _______________ (8. launch) the William Rast clothing line, sold in Bloomingdale's, with childhood friend Trace Ayala. The 2007 line contained cord jackets, cashmere sweaters, jeans and polo shirts.

On March 17, 2008, Timberlake _________________ (9. release) the single 4 Minutes, a duet with Madonna, featuring long-time collaborator Timbaland. The single was an international hit, #1 on the United World Chart, and has topped the charts in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom and reached the Top 5 in Austria, France, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand and the United States. Timberlake also appears in the music video which was directed by Jonas & François. Timberlake __________________________ (10. perform - recently) the song at Madonna’s Hard Candy Promo Show at Roseland Ballroom in New York City.